Bachelors and Masters in Health Management and Administration in Georgia

Georgia’s hospital administrators and other healthcare facility managers are among the best paid in the region, earning an average salary of $99,540 as of 2014 (US Department of Labor). In addition to strong salary offers, Georgia’s aspiring and advancing healthcare administrators enjoy a job market that is very friendly to career mobility. In fact, the Georgia Department of Labor expects the number of healthcare administrator jobs in the state to increase by 29 percent over the 10-year period leading up to 2022.

There are a number of reasons why Georgia’s healthcare system creates such great opportunities for healthcare administrators and management professionals. A 2014 Gallup survey found that in the span of just one year, the number of state residents with improved access to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act increased by 19.1 percent. This means 8,168,750 Georgians enjoy the benefits of health insurance coverage as of 2014. If Georgia decides to expand Medicaid coverage, an additional 478,000 citizens could gain coverage in the coming years.

This web-based Master of Health Administration program allows you to earn your MHA through GWU’s respected Milken Institute School of Public Health without disrupting work and family life. This innovative program combines a web-based platform accessible from anywhere in the world with face-to-face online classes and immersions that allow you to get the most from your learning experience by collaborating with professors and peers.

Expanded healthcare coverage is a windfall for both public health agencies and private healthcare organizations, even as they struggle to keep up with the growing demand for medical services. Additionally, this increasing coverage comes at a time when healthcare is already one of the largest and most rapidly growing industries in Georgia. According to the US Department of Commerce, Georgia’s healthcare industry generated $30.5 billion in 2014 alone, a figure that amounts to 6.4 percent of the state’s total GSP (Gross State Product) for that year.

As Georgia’s system of public and private healthcare providers sees a dramatic increase in new patients, expanding budgets and a growing workforce, the vital administrative skills of healthcare system and facility managers have come into focus.

Healthcare Administration Degrees in Georgia

Those looking to launch a career in the field of healthcare administration and management must meet today’s practical industry standards, which now often necessitate earning a master’s in healthcare administration. Fortunately, Georgia’s undergraduate and graduate students alike can earn degrees from universities and colleges located throughout the state offering both online and campus-based programs.

Undergraduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Management

Undergraduate degrees available to healthcare administration majors in Georgia include:

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)

A bachelor’s in healthcare administration or management is a viable starting point for tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. A typical program of study consists of around 120 semester credits, divided into approximately 60 general undergraduate requirements and 60 upper-division undergraduate courses that relate directly to healthcare administration and management. Students can often transfer an associate’s degree to fulfill general requirements.

Junior and senior-level healthcare administration/management courses cover key business and management concepts as they relate to the healthcare industry. These courses include:

Principles of management and marketing

Analysis of financial statements

Strategic planning and healthcare management

Human resource management

Business and administration leadership

Business finance and healthcare economics

Legal issues in the healthcare business environment

Graduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Management

Graduate degrees available to healthcare administration majors in Georgia include:

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)

JD/MSHA dual degree programs

Master of Health Administration (MHA) / MBA dual degree programs

Two graduate degree programs stand out among the programs that meet generally accepted industry standards for education in healthcare management and administration:

Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) – focuses on important aspects and duties of healthcare administration

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Administration or Management – focuses on the business aspects of healthcare management or administration

Graduate Program Admission Criteria

Though master’s programs in healthcare administration maintain specific undergraduate course requirements, these programs welcome incoming students currently working in healthcare who hold bachelor’s degrees in majors other than healthcare administration and management.

While each graduate school has its own specific admission standards, several common elements are often shared:

Completion of specific course prerequisites

Minimum undergraduate GPA

Essay on career goals and motivations to earn a graduate degree in healthcare management or administration

Letters of recommendation

Official undergraduate transcripts showing completion of a bachelor’s degree in any field

Several years of professional work experience

Some programs require current employment in the healthcare industry

Areas of Study

Graduate programs in healthcare administration and management are typically comprised of 36-60 semester credits and take between 18-24 months to complete. Core subjects covered during the graduate experience can include topics like:

Strategy for management of large healthcare organizations

Global economics for healthcare managers

Medical informatics

Healthcare policy and law

Quantitative methods for healthcare organizations

Decision making data analysis

Leadership and ethics

Advanced financial management

Compliance for accreditation

Healthcare marketing

Many programs may also culminate with a thesis or capstone research project where students focus on a particular issue in-depth or tie together what they have learned throughout their graduate experience.

In addition to convenient online programs designed with working professionals in mind, schools throughout Georgia offer graduate degrees in healthcare administration and management in cities like:

Atlanta

Statesboro

Morrow

Fort Gordon

Healthcare Administration Jobs in Georgia

Upon completing a relevant degree program prospective healthcare management and administration professionals can put their education into practice.

The following job descriptions and prospective employers serve as illustrative examples of healthcare administration positions available in Georgia’s job marketplace. These healthcare administration jobs are sourced from vacancy advertisements placed throughout the state (October, 2015).

Business Operations Coordinator – Coordinates the operational aspects of a specific department or business; applicants are preferred to have at least a bachelor’s degree in healthcare, business, or a related field

Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah

Practice Manager III – Provides expert assistance, management, and coordination for other administration staff as well as physicians; preference is shown to applicants that have an MHA or MBA

Physician Services Practice Manager III – Provides assistance in the financial development and program management of new business ventures; preference is shown to applicants that have an MHA or MBA

Turning Point Hospital in Moultrie

Director of Business Development – Provides oversight of budgeting, business development, and strategic planning; ideal applicants will have an MHA or MBA

Marketing Representative – Responsible for securing patient transfers to Turning Point by soliciting medical facilities, people, and departments; applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field

Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta

Senior New Business Manager – Initiates and maintains business relationships, and is additionally responsible for managing strategic plans to achieve specified goals; preference is shown to applicants with an MHA, MBA, or Master of Public Health (MPH)

Local Resources for Healthcare Administrators and Managers

Georgia’s vibrant network of hospital systems and professional organizations helps support career progression and the transition from academia to a career in healthcare administration.